⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ it sounds like you're offended for me. ”
a faint smile almost surfaced, one brow lifting with suspicion. the observation carried no bite behind it. it drifted out of her lightly, harmless as a dove's feather caught in the wind.
she had accused the man of many things in the time they had known each other—enough, perhaps, to make professional and honest criminals blush—but his feelings, what little of them he allowed others to see, were not on trial tonight. the day had been long. the night promised to be longer. whatever irritation she carried toward him barely held enough heat to warm an ant.
when he finished speaking she let the silence sit for a moment, watching the tension settle along his shoulders, hearing the rough edges of frustration still ingrained in his voice. she regarded him calmly, neither wounded nor defensive. if anything, there was a trace of weary understanding in her expression.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ or maybe it isn't about me. ” she said, after a moment, thoughtfully.
why would he care about her? outside of them being faithful comrade-in-arms, outside of her drive to slaughter a dozen of his enemies, and he a hundred of hers, she had never given him much legitimate reason to like her. she was fully aware of that.
casca’s discipline had broken men that stood as behemoths, eclipsing even him. her tongue could cut as sharply as any blade out there. the possibility that she had wounded the reclusive giant more deeply than she realized unsettled her in a way she did not expect.
that, at least, was something she could correct.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ guts... i was wrong about what i said earlier. i can't take that back. but i should've chosen them better. ”
the admission stung less than the reason behind it. jealousy was an ugly thing to discover sitting in one’s own chest, and uglier still when the object of it was griffith. the man could charm beasts, kings, and adversaries alike. even she, who knew better than most, was not immune to it.
she stepped closer to him, the clink of her armament sounding her approach.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ know that any offense to you is an offense to me, ” she said simply. “ we taste the mornings together. we look for our tomorrows together. whatever comes our way, we face it on the same ground. ”
her gaze shifted briefly toward the camp behind them before returning to him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ but if you want to know the truth, i find your question irritating. ” there was no anger in the statement, only blunt honesty. she felt more insulted by that than any immature insult thrown her way, direct, or otherwise.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ it means you haven’t been paying attention. ”
some of the men in the band still carried thin white lines across their skin that her sword had placed there. old lessons. necessary ones. veterans knew better now. the younger hawks would learn soon enough.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ dilos and the others are young. ” she continued, smiling as traces of empathy surfaced in her tone. “ a few months in the saddle, not even a year of full campaigns between them. ” a quiet breath left her nose, followed by a short laugh. “ tomorrow morning, before first march, they’ll learn something useful. i doubt any of them will touch ale again for a month. ”
she turned slightly then, standing beside him rather than in front of him.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ so tell me something, guts. ” her voice softened, curiosity finding its way back into her words. “ is it really my timing that bothers you? i can’t imagine the petty barbs of little boys—or the moments i decide to answer them—being enough to weigh on you like this. so is that it… or is it something else?”
she did not press him further. some men spoke easily. some were poets. some simply said what they meant without hesitation, careless of how rough the words might sound. guts was not one of them. she had learned long ago that forcing answers from him only drove him deeper into silence.
for now, it was enough that she stood there with him in the dark. if he chose to give her an inch of himself or retreat miles away into whatever battles he fought alone, she would accept either. she recognized the effort it took for him to bring words to life. what mattered tonight was simpler than that.
she chose to stand beside him.
